Streamlining benefits a priority Published Feb. 25, 2011 By Micah Garbarino Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have partnered to create a program to streamline the evaluation and benefits processes for all military veterans wounded, ill or injured on active duty. By combining the medical evaluation process, the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, determines whether a member can continue in their service, or they will receive a disability rating and VA claim assistance before they are discharged from active duty. "Integrating the DOD and VA processes eliminates the benefits gap faced by disabled veterans under the previous Disability Evaluation System and provides a high-quality, consistent and transparent process to the servicemember," said the VA statement. Disabled servicemembers have always been entitled to receive veteran's benefits, but the path to those benefits has not always been straight or smooth. Under the old system, servicemembers went through a medical evaluation process on active duty that averaged 300 days. At the end of that time, they would return to duty, or be given a DOD disability rating and discharged. The member then had to file a claim with the VA on their own and go through a separate VA medical evaluation process before their benefits were determined. "Among the benefits for which veterans must wait are health care, disability compensation payments, vocational rehabilitation and employment assistance, specially adapted housing grants, assistance with adaptive equipment for cars, and aid for housebound veterans," said a statement released by the VA. This wait could take up to eight months and led to a huge gap in benefits and separate medical exams meant inconsistent disability ratings. It wasn't a "customer friendly" process. The disability evaluation process can still be a lengthy one, with average evaluations lasting 314 days, but now servicemembers have no gap in benefits. They are on active duty benefits for an average of two more weeks, and if they are discharged, they leave the service knowing what VA benefits they are entitled to and don't have to go through any more separate medical evaluations. "The IDES has been tested in a pilot program at 27 locations, successfully integrating DOD and VA processes for 47 percent of servicemembers referred for evaluation. Worldwide expansion by October 2011 will give the same opportunity to all servicemembers," said the VA statement. Tinker has had a similar program for years called Benefits Delivery at Discharge, but now that IDES is going worldwide, those principles will be standardized for everyone, with the full weight and power of the DOD and VA behind the new system, said VA regional Public Affairs representative, Jim Becker. Tinker servicemembers with disabilities or active duty members who are separating, can contact the Veterans Affairs office on Tinker at 734-3079. The VA office on Tinker is located in the clinic.